Feta Cheese Nutrition: The Most Three Important Benefits

#feta cheese is traditionally produced in Greece from a combination of goat and sheep’s milk and has gained immense recognition to the world, not only due to its abundant tangy flavor, but also because of the health benefits it offers. As the world followed the trend, many cheese producers outside of Greece started to make varieties of feta-like cheeses, with some made from cow’s milk or a mixture of cow and goat’s milk. However, the true feta is a product of Greece and should contain at least 70 percent goat’s milk and the remaining 30 percent from sheep’s milk.

A variation of feta has been known since the ancient times, since the ages of Aristotle and Dioskouridis, both the world most known philosophers, talking about mixing milk from the leaves of a fig tree with goats milk and obtaining cheese. Others talked about making cheese by mixing fresh milk with lemon or vinegar, a practice still followed today in the villages of Greece and in the island of Crete.

How is feta produced

Feta is a soft white cheese with no outer layer as some cheese’s do. The real name of feta in Greek means “slice”, named after from the process of cutting the curd into pieces after fermentation. Feta cheese is stored in rectangular tins of 1 to 2 kilos, preserved in brine in barrels or tins of 25 to 50 kilos. It matures over a period of 2 months in the brine, and should be conserved in the fridge at 2º-5º Celsius. After the curdling is complete, the whey is removed and the curd is cut into large pieces and placed in molds to drain. Once fully drained it is salted and left to repose in low temperatures. It is then placed in barrels or tins which are filled with brine and is left to mature for no less than 60 days.

Feta Cheese Contains Fewer Calories Than Most Cheeses Even the White ones

Research shows that feta cheese contains about 33 % less calories than most cheeses – however, due to the brine that it is preserved in, it has a much intense flavor than many other low-calorie cheeses, such as mozzarella.

Feta Cheese Has Less Fat

Scientific experiments have shown that the fat content of feta cheese is about a third less than that of most cheeses – however, many producers tend to experiment with “low-fat” feta by adding non-fat milk or special salts, which comes at the sacrifice of its true flavor and the cheese’s natural texture.

Feta Cheese is High in Calcium

28 grams (kind like a spoonful) of feta cheese contain nearly 140 mg. of calcium, making it one of the best dietary sources of calcium. Calcium is an essential component to the development and health of your body bones and tooth enamel.

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